Welcome to our Blog

The appearance of aging is often very difficult to measure, which is why I love reading studies like the one that was published in the most recent issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Based on a long-term follow-up, three-quarters of facelift patients still look younger than they did before their surgeries, even after five years. The study is the first of its kind to use rigorous, standardized assessments to evaluate these types of long-term results. The study used three different sets of assessments on standardized photographs of 50 patients who had undergone facelift surgery five years previously. One set of objective measurements involved carefully gauging factors like jowl height and the angle of the chin to the neck. Another set of subjective assessments involve examining key areas, like nasolabial folds. Finally, the third set of assessments involved an overall score of the patient’s appearance. By having these three sets of assessments, the researchers were able to accurately measure aesthetic improvement across a variety of dimensions. They found that all three sets showed significant improvement, although there was some loss of improvement in the years since the surgeries, which one would expect. Here are a few of the conclusions from the three sets of assessments:

improvement in jowl height decreased by about 20 percent after 5 years

facial lines showed little deterioration in the years since surgery

76% of patients still look younger 5 years after their facelift, compared with how they looked before their facelift surgeries

The researchers hope that this evidence will help to guide plastic surgery patient expectations. One of the most common questions that plastic surgeons get is: how long will my facelift last? Based on these results, there seems to be no significant objective or subjective sign of continued aging or ‘relapse’ in any area except for the neck, the researchers conclude.

Researchers discover the fountain in youth in cosmetic enhancement. According to a new study recently published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, facelift surgery can make patients appear up to 7 years younger than their actual age.

The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto, Canada and NorthShore University Health System in Evanston, Illinois, enlisted the help of first-year medical student volunteers to independently rate the ages of facelift recipients. Volunteers were shown the photos of 60 patients before and after surgery.

The end results showed that volunteers estimated these patients to be 7.2 years younger, on average, than their actual age post-surgery. Researchers also pointed out that the patients who received the most plastic surgery procedures, including face, neck and forehead lifts, also received the lowest age estimates of the patients evaluated by volunteers.

While it may be no surprise that facelift surgery results in a significantly more youthful appearance, researchers believe that this surgery will help to guide both plastic surgeons and potential patients when formulating realistic expectations of facelift surgery outcomes.

“The goal of aesthetic facial surgery is to improve oneâ??s appearance and to â??turn back the clock, according to study authors. Our data demonstrate a significant and consistent reduction in perceived age after aesthetic facial surgery.”

If you’re considering facelift surgery, it is important to discuss the risks and benefits with a board certified facial plastic surgeon. The best candidate for facelift surgery is an individual who has noticeably sagging skin of the face and neck regions, but whose skin still has some elasticity and whose bone structure is well-defined.